Bifurcated garment.



Patented Apr. 30, l90l.

F. W. WESTON. BIFURCATED GARMENT.

(Application filed July 28, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK W. WESTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

BIFURCATED GARMENT.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 673,040, dated April 30, 1901.

erial No. 24,910. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK W. WESTON, of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bifurcated Garments, such as Breeches or Trousers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to trousers, breeches, or other bifurcated garments, and has for its object the providing of certain improvements in same by means of which the garments referred to will fit more accurately around the waist, will be more comfortable and healthful for the wearer, will be improved as to appearance, and may be worn and comfortably supported without the aid of suspenders.

To these ends the invention, as illustrated upon the accompanying drawings, consists of trousers or breeches which are out to have the upper edge at the hip extend snugly above the hip-bone of the wearer and to have upward extensions in front and rear, as shown. A belt, which is of the nature of a waistband, is attached along its lower edge to the upper edge of the trousers, between the ends of said upward extensions, said belt being equipped at its ends with adjustable fasteners, by which it may be drawn taut about the waist to fit the body immediately above the line of the hip-bones. The ends of the belt are left free for fastening and unfastening and are of lengths to overlap said upward extensions of the trousers, said extensions being equal in height to the width of the belt, whereby they are concealed by the belt. The extensions are as great in width as may be necessary to cover the umbilicns and the tender portions of the body, and their side or end edges are attached by stitches or other suitable method to the belt at the points where the free ends of the belt are attached to the upper edge of the garment. I

On the drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 represents a pair of breeches with the belt shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 represents a pair of breeches embodying the invention,in this case the belt having a row of cartridge-pockets.

The breeches, as shown, have two upward extensions, one at a in the rear and the other .at b in the front; but the rear extension may be omitted, if desired. The belt is indicated at c, and it is of substantially uniform width from end to end and equal in width to the height of the extension or extensions. As shown, it is provided with fasteners both at the front and the rear; but when only one extension is used the rear fasteners are not employed. I prefer in many cases to use the rear extension for the better protection of the region of the kidneys and on account of the separation of the belt by front and rear loose ends, for should said belt be found to be too long the tightening of same can be effected both at front and rear, resulting in a more pleasing appearance by the buckles or clasps remaining substantially central instead of more or less at one side, as might be the re; sult were the tightening effected in the front with one buckle or clasp only. The belt is united at its lower edge to the upper edge of the garment between the end edges of the extensions by some suitable method, such as one or more rows of stitches, and it is also suitably attached to the said end edges, thus leaving the end flaps for the fastener members d 61 free. If the rear extension ctis used, it may be divided and a gusset a of elastic or non-elastic material may be inserted. The upward extension with the overlapping ends of the belt cover or protect the more tender or vital portions of the body in the region of the waist and adapt the garment for athletic exercises or for wear in frigid, temperate, or tropical countries, such as in the case of the uniform of a soldier or sailor, the costume of a sportsman, the attire of an athlete, or the dress of a civilian.

The belt, which is comparatively wide and which encircles the body just above the projecting hip-bones, holds and supports the garment, preventing it from sagging down and becoming uncomfortable to the wearer. It protects the more tender parts of the body, obviates the use of suspenders, and also presents a neat and pleasing appearance.

The belt may be made of the same material of which the trousers or breeches are fashioned, or it may be of leather or other suitable material, and, as shown in Fig. 2, it may be provided with pockets e for cartridges or for valuables, in the latter case the pockets being formed either on the inside or the outside of the belt.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way of constructing and using the same, though without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes of its use, it is declared that what is claimed is A bifurcated garment, having an upward extension at the front and at the rear, and a belt secured at its lower edge to the upper 

